leno

5 Beautiful Leno Weaving Project Ideas for the Rigid Heddle Loom

If you loved learning how to weave Leno lace on your rigid heddle loom in my previous article, you’re going to be excited about today’s post!

Leno is a beautiful, open-weave technique that adds texture and lightness to your projects. It’s a finger controlled technique that can easily be woven on a plain weave threading and with very minimal tools – all you need is your rigid heddle loom and a pick up stick!

In this post, I’ll share five gorgeous Leno weaving project ideas to inspire your Leno journey.

Let’s dive in!

1. Airy Leno Scarf

A lightweight, lacy scarf is a perfect way to showcase Leno weaving. Use a soft cotton, wool or silk for a breezy, elegant accessory. To add interest, you could use contrasting warp and weft colours. The Garden Path Scarf uses the Brook’s Bouquet weave structure, but is a lovely example of how special a lace weave scarf can look.

2. Leno Market Bag

A sturdy yet flexible string bag is a fantastic use of Leno lace! The open weave allows for some stretch, making it ideal for carrying groceries, beach essentials, books or even yarn. Use a strong cotton or linen yarn for durability. A tapestry cotton or seine twine is the kind of hard wearing yarn you need for a project like this 😉

Check out the digital download PDF pattern for The Farmer’s Market Bag for an easy to follow project.

3. Sheer Leno Curtains

Leno is a very popular structure for weaving airy, light-filtering curtains. Because you are already threaded for plain weave, a hem and top section for hanging are easy to include on each end of your Leno panel. Choose natural fibers like cotton or linen.

4. Table Runner with Leno accent

Although Leno is not really appropriate for a table runner due to its need for some sturdiness and the ability to sit flat on a table, it is very lovely when used as an accent. You could choose to weave a plain weave table runner with recurring repeats of Leno, strategically placed.

Or you could place your Leno in particularly places rather than doing a full row to create Leno sections or windows in your runner.

Coupled with an Italian Hemstich, your table runner would be a real show stopper!

5. Lightweight Leno Wrap or Shawl

A Leno-woven wrap or shawl is perfect for layering over outfits in warmer weather or draped with an evening dress on cooler nights. You could try a sheeny and soft yarn like tencel or bamboo for a luxurious drape. Using the same colour for both warp and weft would create a classy and bold statement piece. Introducing Mexican Lace (a type of Leno as demonstrated in this online class) would make a truly beautiful shawl.

There is a lovely shrug project in Jane Patrick’s The Weaver’s Idea Book on page 74.

More About Leno

Want to undertake one of these projects but you’re not sure if Leno is for you? Check out my free tutorial to get started weaving Leno on an open shed.

And if you’re interested in delving into some more finger controlled techniques like Mexican Lace, Brook’s Bouquet and Spanish Lace, you need the Lovely and Lacey Online Workshop. In this workshop we weave a sampler to practice the techniques, so there is no need to commit to a full sized project.

Leno weaving is a fantastic way to add texture, lightness, and a touch of elegance to your rigid heddle loom projects. Whether you’re weaving a breezy scarf, a sturdy market bag, or delicate curtains, this technique opens up so many creative possibilities and variations.

*This post contains some affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

I hope these project ideas inspire you to try Leno in new and exciting ways! Have you woven with Leno before? I’d love to hear about your favourite projects—share your thoughts in the comments below 👇

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

What are finger controlled techniques?

by Kelly 6 Comments

Just when you thought you had tried everything in weaving, you discover there is more! Finger controlled techniques can add a whole other dimension to the way you’ve been weaving and offers new and exciting possibilities.

So, what are finger controlled techniques?

Also know as “finger manipulation weaving”, finger controlled techniques is a kind of umbrella term for a group of weaving techniques. It basically means that, rather than using just the shafts on your loom to control the threads and achieve patterning, you are also bringing your hands directly onto the warp to perform manipulations.

*This post contains affiliate links. For further information, please see my disclosure policy here.

Often the finger manipulations will involve using a tool of some sort to aid you in holding the pattern created. Some examples of tools used are pick up sticks, knitting needles, threading hooks and crochet hooks.

Why use finger controlled techniques?

There are many good reasons to introduce finger controlled techniques into your weaving.

It increases your pattern possibilities.
You can achieve patterns that may not typically be associated with traditional weaving.
You can weave a drastically different pattern to what you normally might.
It is an exciting, interesting and sometimes meditative way to weave.
It can be used in small sections or borders to accentuate a plain or other weave structure.
It can be incorporated seamlessly into any loom set up.
You don’t need extra shafts or a bunch of extra equipment to give it a try.
You can set up your loom for plain weave and introduce the finger techniques on the same warp.
The techniques are good for an adventurous beginner. Make sure you have a plain weave project or two under your belt first though.
There are many different types of techniques to try, all with different effect. And each one has variations!

Which kind of looms work for using these techniques?

That is the beauty of it! Most finger controlled techniques are worked at the front of the loom, on the warp directly in front of you. This means it’s suitable for rigid heddle looms, table looms and floor looms.

Today I’m going to discuss the 3 most popular and well known finger controlled techniques in weaving:

Brook’s Bouquet
Leno
Danish Medallions

Brooks Bouquet was made popular by Marguerite Brooks when she wrote a book that included variations on this weave structure. You can see the “bouquet” component, where the yarn wraps around bunches of warp threads (the number of threads is adaptable) and pulls in tightly.

Reminiscent of lace knitting, the finished fabric also has some interesting qualities. Most of the time, woven fabric lacks “stretch” but using Brooks Bouquet produces a fabric with definite stretch. It is mildly open and airy, and yet has a beautiful and intricate pattern.

You don’t need any extra tools, just your stick shuttle (the same one you’re using for your weft) to pick up groups of threads in a repeat pattern and loop the yarn around the bunches as you go.

I love Brooks Bouquet in solid colours, using the same yarn for warp and weft, however I’ve seen some really beautiful pieces using variegated yarns too.

If you’re interested in trying it out but would like some step by step instructions, the Garden Path Scarf digital PDF download pattern is the perfect place to start. I have included lots of colour photos in this pattern as well as all the yarn and calculation details you need to complete a really beautiful scarf. I’ve woven two Garden Path scarves in merino yarn for myself and they are my go to for cold weather.

The next technique I want to share with you is Leno.

This also creates a light, airy fabric, but even more so than Brooks Bouquet. It is a very slow weave, as you twist threads using your fingers and a pick up stick and then hold the twists in place by beating in the weft thread.

Leno also has variations, for example, it can be woven on an open or closed shed. You can weave it in rows, with plain weave in between. You can weave Leno for the whole piece or just in border sections (it looks fantastic as bordering on a classic scarf or table runner).

If you like the look of this technique, I have good news for you! I have a complete tutorial on weaving Leno and it’s totally free. It is aimed towards rigid heddle weavers, but is completely adaptable to other looms as well. You can find that tutorial here.

That brings us to Danish Medallions.

This is a highly decorative technique. I love to showcase strongly contrasting yarns to really make those medallions pop out of the piece. It is a really interesting and fun technique to work on your loom.

The basic idea is to run a contrasting weft thread through bands of plain weave in another colour. The width of this band of plain weave will partly determine how large your medallions will be. You then bring in your contrast colour weft, threaded on a tapestry needle (at least, that is how I like to do it).

Using a crochet hook, or my preference, a double ended threading hook, you then hook this contrast yarn by taking the hook through the work at the previous contrast pick and pulling it though. This is where the tapestry needle comes in handy, as you can take it through the loop created.

Cinch up this loop and you have your first medallion. How tightly you cinch it will depend on the effect you want. A light cinch will give you medallions that seam to sit on the fabric with some minor gaps in between. A tight cinch will give you more separated looking medallions and will produce an airier fabric.

Both options look beautiful. You will notice in the sample above that I’ve also included beading between some medallions, just for fun. The Danish medallion technique lends itself beautifully to extra embellishments.

If you want to see this technique in action (because it’s so much easier to show it than to tell it) I have a very affordable online workshop that demonstrates both Danish Medallions and Leno, all in one place. Click here to check that out!

I hope that today’s post has helped you to find out more about finger controlled techniques and encouraged you to consider giving them a shot!

It can be fun to put on a short sampler warp, thread up for plain weave, and work your way through these techniques. You might find a really awesome way to combine the 3 to make a unique woven piece!

As always, I love to hear from you here and answer any questions you may have, so please let me know you visited by leaving your comment below.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to weave Leno on a rigid heddle loom

by Kelly 14 Comments

Leno is a finger controlled weave that gives a lovely airy and lacey look to your weaving.

You can set up Leno on a plain weave threading, as all of the pick up is done at the front of the heddle with a pick up stick and your fingers.

I love that this is a fancy looking but easy to implement technique. Yes, it’s a little slow, but there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that! It can be worked either on an open or closed shed. Today’s tutorial shows you how to work Leno on an open shed.

*This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my disclosure policy.

Leno can be used for any project you want an open weave for, but some suggestions are:

Curtains

As a border on a table runner, coupled with plain weave

A bag (my Farmer’s Market Bag pattern is available in my Etsy shop).

For my Leno sample I’m using my Sampleit loom with a 7.5 dent heddle, a worsted weight wool, a stick shuttle and a pick up stick. I didn’t use the full width of my loom, I just wanted a smaller sample.

Leno and plain weave are great friends and I like to combine them for aesthetics. If you don’t plan on using plain weave bands within your Leno, at least start with a few picks of plain weave to begin with as a base.

*Handy Tips:

You will want to advance your warp forward a little more than usual. This is because we are going to be building up warp twist and then making a shed with the pick up stick to pass the shuttle through. If your last row of weaving is too close to the heddle/reed, it will be difficult to find the space to pass the shuttle through.

2. You will want your shuttle to enter from your dominant side. I’m right handed, so I have woven my last pick of plain weave so that the shuttle is on the right of the warp.

3. Your outer most warp thread on the side you’re starting from (in my case, the right) should be in an up position. That doesn’t necessarily mean that your heddle will be in your up position – you will need to try the up and down heddle positions to see which is suitable for that outside warp thread to be up. I placed my heddle in the down position to ensure my outside thread (a slot thread) was up.

Begin by holding the top warp threads aside so that you can see the down shed threads underneath. Take your pick up stick underneath the first thread in the down shed so that sits on top of the stick.

Now release the next warp thread along, which is a top or “up” thread. It will naturally go underneath the pick up stick, which is just what you want.

You now have 2 threads picked up and you may notice that they twist around each other. Dive the pick up stick back down into the warp, holding those top threads out of the way still. Take the point of the stick underneath the next down shed thread so that it sits on top of the stick.

Release the next top thread along, and as before, it naturally springs underneath the stick. At this point you have 2 warp threads on top of the stick and 2 underneath. Dive the stick back down into the warp and repeat the steps, right to the other side.

As you continue your pick up across the warp you should notice that the warp threads are twisted in pairs both below and above the stick. This is how you know that you’re picking up correctly.

When you’ve completed your row of pick up, slide your pick up stick back towards the heddle and leave in place.

Turn the pick up stick on edge and pass your stick shuttle through the shed.

Be sure to fix up and pay attention to your edges, just like you would for straight plain weave. If you need to know more about techniques for weaving neat edges, please watch this video:

Remove the pick up stick and beat. You will feel resistance as a result of the twists being in place, so be gentle and try to beat straight. Remember, this is an airy fabric, we’re not going for densely woven fabric here!

Change to the next shed. I was in the down shed, so now I change to the up shed. Enter the shuttle from the left and pass through the shed, fixing up your edge to weave neatly as before. You will note that the second row of twists that was above your pick up stick when working your pick up has now transferred underneath your new pick.

Beat the new pick, remembering to be gentle and not too firm with your beat. You now have two rows of Leno.

Now you can choose whether you go back and repeat more rows of Leno, or you can do what I’ve done in this photo – alternated bands of plain weave with bands of Leno. Both are very effective, it just depends on the look you’re going for.

If you would like to see a video version of this tutorial, you will find that here:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and if so, please leave me comment to let me know. Also feel free to ask any questions you may have down below, I’m happy to help.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving